Tag Archives: Individual

The Link Passing Transition Drill integrates the use of all possible passes within basketball while proving a scenario specific to practicing one of the more troublesome aspects of transition, the second or link pass.

The Link Passing Transition Drill starts with an offensive player (One) positioned under the basket at one end of the floor. This player starts with the basketball. This player will look to dribble down the floor and perform a specific type of basketball pass to one of the wing running offensive players (Three and Four).

Link Passing Transition Drill Diagram 1

The wing runners start at halfway at the “T” point. A defender also starts at this position and attempts to deny the pass to the player and ultimately prevent the scoring opportunity.

The wing players look to create leads and in so doing become possible passing targets for One (1).

If a wing player (Three or Four) receive the link pass the drill becomes live (2 v 2) and continues until either the offense scores, or the defence securers possession.

Points of Emphasis

A key focus of the Link Passing Transition Drill is to have players perfect a wide range of different passing techniques utilised in basketball.

An effective link pass pushes the ball from the defensive end of the floor into an attacking position. If the link pass is poor offensive players will catch the ball away from a position in which they are considered a threat by the defence. Ideally, the wing players (Three and Four) should be catching the ball at the three-point line or closer to the basketball hoop.

Variations

While in the above diagram the offensive player filling the role of the outlet initially starts in the middle of the floor, this starting position can vary. Once a player becomes competent in performing a range of passes, then look to start the player from the corners of the floor. This will varying the line of sight for players and make the challenge of passing to the opposite side of the floor more challenging.

While it is not ideal for players to pass across the splitline, practicing the passing angles will assist in players being able to perform this task more efficient and effectively.

Once the players have overcome the challenges and acquired the knowledge to play from various angles, the next variation focuses on adding an on-ball defender from the outlet. The defender marking One (1) will attempt to deny or pressure the link pass to the forward offensive targets.

As the competence of the players develop an additional player can be added to the drill that acts as the inbounder, again with an on-ball defender.

The last variation to the Link Passing Transition Drill is to provide two outlet targets. These players will simulate a regular inbounding situation during a game where two offensive players remain in the backcourt acting as possible targets on opposite side of the floor.

In all variations of the Link Passing Transition Drill different passes should be made mandatory of players.

The Link Passing Transition Drill if performed well will see better outcomes for a team in being able to move the ball quickly up the floor. At all times players should look to work at the highest speed to assist in the realistic development of the desired range of skills.

The 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is a simple, yet effective activity for helping players to develop their own ability to advance a ball up the court at pace. Too often players struggle to control the basketball when dribbling once they achieve a certain speed. By practicing this technique within the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill players will develop more confidence and competence in performing this very under-trained skill.

The drill starts with two lines of players on opposite sides of the baseline. The offensive player (One) starts with the ball.

1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill Diagram 1

On the One’s dribble the defence (Two) is allowed to become live and engage the dribbler.

The objective of the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is for the offensive player to dribble the length of the court and make a scoring shot.

The defender simply tries to prevent the offensive player from scoring.

Points of Emphasis

The dribbler should focus on keeping the ball out in front of the body while dribbling; so to prevent kicking or tripping on the ball

The dribbler must look to get up to speed as soon as possible; players should start in a low stance, ready to explode off the mark

The defender should attempt to wedge in between the dribbler and their line to the basket; this will effectively create a harder angle for the shot

Remember: the aim of the drill is to be able to perform the technique of a speed dribble as fast as an individual’s ability allows. The 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is not about just scoring

Variation

For younger players the ability to develop the skill of a speed dribble can be hampered by the introduction of defence within the activity. If a player or team is struggling to master the technique initially, then one variation to the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is to simply remove the defence from the drill. A competitive environment can still be maintained through the use of limiting the number of dribbles a player has to reach the other end of the floor and perform a lay-up, or timing a player so they are working against their personal best with each repetition.

Once players start to become more and more successful in reaching the other end of the floor at pace. Increasing the difficulty can continue to challenge a individual. One option for the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is to simply add a shot clock. Allowing players only five seconds within which to make a shot will add some additional pressure and drive the players further along in their development.

Another option for the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is to play up and back. If the defender steals the ball or secures possession without their being a score then a handy variation is to allow the defender to now break back and dribble back to the starting end of the floor for a lay-up. This is useful for those teams finding that they have gaps in the different phases of the game because players are taking too long to switch between offense and defence while on the floor.

The 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill is easy to set-up and a high number of repetitions can be executed in a small amount of time. When utilised as a conditioning drill as well the 1 v 1 Speed Dribble Drill provides a very useful option for many teams focusing on the technique of speed dribbling, or fast break and transition phases of offense.

The Lay-up is one of the most widely used skills in basketball. For most players this is their very first technique learnt when attempting to score. The lay-up forms one of the most fundamental skills developed in basketball and so therefore it is often seen as a point of frustration when junior, senior or elite players fail to perform the skill both during training and in games.

The problem is that no one scoring technique will ever be perfect and all skills across the gamut of basketball will need to be rehearsed, broken down, or re-taught from time to time to ensure they continue to be performed at an acceptable level of competence. The lay-up though can have some inherent issues when teaching and then performing. Some common reasons are defined below…

Poor Technique

When players are not well-drilled, they can become very complacent when going through the motions of performing skills. The skill does not need to be simple for this happen, but can be very complex, and still this issue persists. Standards during practice need to be set for the team and then monitored for each individual. Allowing slow repetitions or “loose” technique only serves to create bad habits for players. The lay-up will be a skill that players often become complacent in performing because of its often overuse in similar situations.

Lack of Depth or Confidence in Skill Set

There are a number of different lay-up techniques that can be taught and utilised by a player during a competitive training sessions drills or a game. If a player does not have knowledge or confidence with these various techniques, they will never utilise them and continue to force bad shots, because in their mind they have no other option. For example if a player is looking to perform a lay-up on the right side of the basket and the defender stops this option, if the player does not possess the ability to perform a reverse lay-up on the left hand side, they will more than likely still try to force the right hand lay-up or another poor shot.

Poor exposure of players to a variety of angles in which to practice their lay-up will lead to a limited development of the skill and a lack of ability to convert in games (Photo Source: Wm Chamberlain)

Mind Numbing Repetition

Drills can have a very beneficial effect for players when they are starting to learn new techniques and skills. Well thought out drills can provide a great opportunity for skills like the lay-up to be progressively developed, refined and performed.

However, many drills do feature similar aspects such as where the drill starts and the angle they finish at the basketball hoop. This causes players to become accustom to laying the ball up from a particular position or within a certain angle. This is obviously not the case in games and coaches should take notice of the drills they regularly use and look for different ways to finish the scoring movement so players gain variety and experience from other angles when trying to perform a lay-up.

Game Pace

Probably the most common reason across many errors is the poor rehearsal of players during training sessions of skills at a game pace. Players should be encouraged to progress from being introduced to a skill, to attempting to perform the skill at game pace as quickly as possible.

Playing through the Contact

Many developing players struggle with the concept of basketball being a semi-contact sport but the contact around the keyway and to the basket often being heavy at different times. This can cause player to shy away from this contact for fear of being hurt. This in turn makes players adjust their technique causing issues.

The use of bump pads can be a very useful transitioning piece of equipment in helping players become used to contact before moving into live defensive situations. Players can also be taught in these situations not only how to play through the contact, but implement more advanced techniques to help use the bump.

The next stage of development is to incorporate “live” defence into each drill during the final stages of instruction.

Game Play

Players need opportunities to be able to play in competitive or game like situations. These can range from 1 on 1 to 5 on 5 scenarios. All of these options are beneficial at some level. A coach must be active in providing feedback about made as well as missed baskets.

In competitive situations, it is important to realise in games that only in a few times will a player be truly isolated (especially when playing from the perimeter). The use of 1 v 2 situations where help defence is triggered similar to game situations will be most beneficial from helping players in trying to improve their individual offense, including the lay-up.

The lay-up will provide players with great satisfaction during their early stages of development and become a staple for more experienced players across their careers in basketball. Taking the time to focus on the points mentioned above will serve players to develop a better-rounded and more complete game as well as improving their lay-up technique and performance.

An Overhead Pass is used in basketball to elevate the ball so the pass is often more easily seen by the receiver. The Overhead Pass provides a different angle for the ball to travel and so is ideal in situations like passing over defenders, skip passing, or passing into the post. The Overhead Pass must be practiced frequently in competitive situations as the finer points of performing this skill successfully can be challenging for players.

Problems with the Overhead Pass often start with players using the technique to lob the ball. This causes problems, as the lob pass while having a place within the normal play of basketball, is not overly appropriate for a range of situations. One of the Overhead Passes benefits however is putting the ball in the air while still having pace and speed involved in the technique of the pass.

Teaching points for the Overhead Pass are very different to the majority of other passes commonly employed in basketball. This levering action of the Overhead Pass is a challenge for players, especially in regards to accuracy, but with some practice can be utilised just as fast and precisely as other passing skills.

The Overhead Pass is very useful in moving the ball away from the defender. Players need to be mindful however, that holding the ball too long in this position will see a defender challenge which often results in a passer needing to reset their Triple Threat Stance (Photo Source: Foxcroft Academy)

Start the Overhead Pass from a Triple Threat Stance; in all passing situations, and just in general, when practicing different techniques have players start in a Triple Threat Stance so they become familiar with the habit

Players should Step towards the Intend Target; to help start the powerful movement of an Overhead Pass players should utilise good footwork by stepping towards the intended target to help build momentum

During the Step the Ball should move from hip in Triple Threat Stance to Above Head; this will need to be a quick movement and happen succinctly as the player is stepping forward. Both hands remain on the ball at all times

Basketball should not move any further Backwards then in line with Head; players often try to tease out more power in their Overhead Pass by moving the ball in their backswing to behind the head. This will result in a loss of accuracy and places the basketball in a position where the passer cannot see and so is prone to stealing or defensive interference

Target area is between the Chest and Chin; because of the increased angle, the passing zone also increases. When passing into the post the target area of an Overhead Pass may increase further to the head. This may also be true when passing to cutters on the move so to help with improving vision of the flight of the ball

Follow through of the Pass should result in both Hands/fingers pointing at Target; the Overhead Pass uses both arms equally to help stabilise the ball and generate power when passing. If the technique is performed correctly, both hands should have an identical finishing position pointing at the target area

Head should remain up; one of the common problems seen in the Overhead Pass skill is players try to generate more power through their shoulders instead of coordinating all their body into the passing technique. This results in is over use the players back, shoulders and arms. Players should lean forward slightly during the pass but never to the point where the head dips or they end up looking towards the ground. Eyes must remain on the target at all times.

Many game like situations will not allow the passer to step when using the technique. Practicing the Overhead Pass without taking a step should also be undertaken during training sessions so payers can become comfortable with both options.

The Overhead Pass is a very useful skill, but is prone to players robbing the technique of power and speed. This raises commonly seen problems such as interceptions and deflections happening. Players should practice with the technique enough so they are able to be accurate without needing the slow down the speed at which the skill is performed.

The Mass Defensive Drill is one of the staples of a basketball coach’s drill book. Exceptionally easily to implement, provides a high rate of repetitions and can be used for a variety of reasons. A fantastic activity for junior players the Mass Defensive Drill helps each player to gain maximum opportunity to practice their technique. For older athletes the Mass Defensive Drill can be used as a way of drawing attention to an issue within a team’s play. The repetitive nature of the drill as well as the focus on technique quickly highlights in a senior player’s mind what the coach wants.

The Mass Defensive Drill can be set up with any number of players, but it does to help with spacing to have players put themselves into lines. No more than four players to a line as in the diagram below or players will find they might run into one another when performing certain skills.

Mass Defensive Drill Diagram 1

The coach starts with a basketball to assist in providing some of the cues needed for certain player responses.

The coach stands out front of the group of players. If dealing with a larger group then it may be beneficial for the coach to stand on the sideline at halfway so players have a better view point then if they are under the basket as in the diagrammed above.

Initially the coach will need to explain the various verbal and visual cues to be utilised throughout the Mass Defensive Drill.

On a slap of the ball, the players start to pitter-patter and wait for the next instruction.

Some of the various activities which can be incorporated into the drill include:

Defensive slides

Close out

Charge

Contesting shot into box-out

Dead Ball; offensive player has picked the ball up after dribbling

Example: When coach dribbles players slide with ball and call “ball”.

Example: When coach picks ball up players close out and mirror movement of the ball, and call “dead”.

Example: When coach shot fakes players call “shot” and close out.

Points of Emphasis

The Mass Defensive Drill looks to refine the fundamental individual defensive skills. With this in mind there are a few common points to focus on with players to ensure they get the most out of the activity:

Hand position; depending on the activity, it is vital that the player maintain good hand pressure and mirror the ball during all defensive skills.

Maintain low stance: players will often bob jump and down when sliding. So this is an area to pay special attention to encourage players to maintain a low and wide stance

Verbal Communication; players can be required to use a verbal cue when performing some activities like closing out or boxing out. These verbal calls can be incorporated into the Mass Defensive Drill

The Mass Defensive Drill looks to bring together some of the more basic fundamental skills in a situation where a coach can view all players easily while still running each individual through the various techniques. The drill however is very controlled and will only have a limited life within the team’s regular activities before becoming boring and stale for the players to endure. Like all drills, there needs to be a progression followed which builds upon the skills within one drill to another. Once players are competent in performing these skills, competitive or pressure situations need to be introduced so players can then learn to use these skills in game situations.